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There’s nothing cozier (or easier!) than a warm bowl of Crock Pot chicken noodle soup on a chilly day. Serve the comfort food classic with a side of buttermilk biscuits, Southern cornbread, or a loaf of crusty bread!
Table of Contents
- There’s No Need to Cook The Noodles Separately for this Easy Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Ingredients for Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup in Crock Pot
- What to Serve with this Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
- Preparation and Storage
- Grandma’s Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe Variations
- Tips for the Best Chicken Noodle Soup Crock Pot Recipe
- Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Classic comfort food at its finest! Simmer a pot of easy, homemade Crockpot chicken noodle soup for a simple meal that everyone loves. With meat, egg noodles, and veggies, this chicken soup recipe is a nourishing one-pot meal to keep your weeknights stress-free. Serve a warm bowl with corn muffins or buttermilk biscuits and watch your kids smile!
Chicken noodle soup was always the dish that my mom prepared for us when we were sick, so it’s no surprise that I feel compelled to do the same for my own family. But there’s no reason to wait for the next common cold to enjoy a pot of this goodness! The easy old-fashioned favorite comes together with just a few minutes of prep for a fresh and healthy weeknight meal. Just like Grandma’s kitchen!
There’s No Need to Cook The Noodles Separately for this Easy Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
One reason that we love this slow cooker chicken noodle soup is that it’s truly a one-pot meal! You don’t even have to boil the noodles before adding them directly to the Crock Pot. Instead, they go into the broth at the very end so that they’re cooked just until tender — but not overdone, gummy, or mushy.
Is it OK to put raw chicken in slow cooker?
Yes! The slow cooker is designed to cook raw meat, so it’s perfectly safe to use uncooked chicken in this recipe. That said, food safety experts advise against adding frozen raw chicken to the slow cooker. The frozen meat takes too long to come to a safe temperature, allowing for the potential growth of harmful bacteria. Always thaw your meat in the fridge overnight before adding it to a Crock Pot.
Ingredients for Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for our favorite chicken noodle soup crock pot recipe. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Carrots, celery, onion, and garlic: savory aromatics that add classic flavor to the base of the soup.
- Thyme, rosemary, and parsley: fresh herbs add a bright touch and a fresh, earthy flavor.
- Bay leaf: makes the soup taste like it’s been simmering all day long, and adds that little something “special” in the background.
- Chicken: raw boneless skinless chicken breast or boneless skinless chicken thighs will both work well in this recipe, so pick your favorite.
- Chicken broth: the base of the soup. Use homemade stock or homemade broth if available, or a high-quality store-bought brand. Start with a low-sodium chicken broth if you don’t want your soup too salty.
- Wide egg noodles: these cook right in the broth — no need to boil them first.
- Lemon juice: an acidic component brightens up the dish at the end. You can omit this ingredient if you like.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper: to enhance the other flavors in the soup.
How to Make Chicken Noodle Soup in Crock Pot
Grandma’s slow cooker chicken noodle soup is about as easy as it gets — no standing over the stove necessary! I’ve included the complete instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here’s the quick version:
- Arrange vegetables, herbs, chicken, and broth in the Crock Pot.
- Cover and cook until the chicken and vegetables are tender.
- Shred the chicken with two forks.
- Add the noodles to the broth and cook on HIGH until tender.
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot, stir in the parsley and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
What to Serve with this Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
A warm bowl of easy crock pot chicken noodle soup goes well with any of these sides:
- House Salad with Candied Pecans, Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, a Classic Caesar Salad, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, or a Wedge Salad
- Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits, 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, 4-Ingredient Butter Swim Biscuits, 7UP Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Pumpkin Spice Biscuits, or Drop Biscuits
- Fluffy Bakery-Style Corn Muffins, Broccoli Cornbread (shown here), Southern Cornbread, Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn, Sweet Cornbread, Pumpkin Cornbread, Cake Mix Cornbread, Skillet Cornbread, Corn Sticks, or Honey Cornbread
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
- Cranberry Orange Bread or One-Bowl Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Cheddar Chive Beer Bread (No Yeast, No Knead) or Honey Beer Bread
- Homemade Crescent Rolls or Soft Dinner Rolls
- A loaf of crusty Dutch Oven Bread, No-Knead Cranberry Walnut Bread, or French Baguette (just like you get with your soup at Panera!)
Preparation and Storage
If you’d like to prepare a batch of the soup in advance, I recommend making the soup through Step 4 (do not add the noodles). Shred the chicken, cool the broth, and store the soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
When ready to serve, bring the soup to a simmer on the stovetop, add the noodles, and cook until tender.
Leftover soup will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month; however, cooked noodles may be mushy when frozen and reheated.
How to Reheat
Warm leftovers in a covered saucepan over low heat, just until heated through. Do not overcook or the noodles will become mushy.
You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Grandma’s Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe Variations
- Use cooked chicken (such as the meat from a rotisserie chicken) or cooked leftover turkey from another meal. If starting with cooked meat, wait to add it to the slow cooker at the end when you add the noodles.
- Use either boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. We find that the dark meat thighs stay a bit juicier during the slow cooking process, but they are both great.
- Egg noodles are a classic ingredient in chicken noodle soup; however, you can substitute with other pasta shapes. Try cut spaghetti or rotini, bowties or ditalini. You may need to adjust the cooking time so that the noodles are cooked al dente.
- Instead of cutting up fresh vegetables, add frozen mixed vegetables (such as corn, peas, and carrots) towards the end of cooking. You can pick your family’s favorites!
- Mix up the herbs and use your favorites. In addition to the parsley, rosemary, and thyme, good options include sage, dill, oregano, basil, and chives.
Tips for the Best Chicken Noodle Soup Crock Pot Recipe
- Every slow cooker runs at a slightly different temperature (which is why the recipe gives you general time ranges, rather than exact times). Since my slow cooker tends to cook at a relatively high temperature, I find that the meal is best when cooked on HIGH for about 1 ½ hours or on LOW for about 3 hours. Just get familiar with your pot and adjust accordingly.
- Be careful not to overcook your chicken. The meat is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Don’t overcook the noodles or they will become mushy in your soup. Add them to the pot just before you’re ready to serve, and keep a close eye on them.
- Taste and season as you go. The total amount of salt necessary will vary depending on the saltiness of your broth, and on personal preference.
More Chicken Soup Recipes to Try
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
45 mins
Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumpling Soup
2 hrs 30 mins
Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
45 mins
Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed (about ½ teaspoon total)
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary (or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast or boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 10 cups chicken broth
- 8 ounces uncooked wide egg noodles
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley or thyme
Instructions
- Combine the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf in a slow cooker. Arrange the chicken on top of the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour in the broth.
- Cover and cook until the chicken and vegetables are tender, about 3-4 hours on LOW or 1 ½ – 2 hours on HIGH.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board.
- With the slow cooker on the HIGH setting, stir in the noodles and cook until tender, about 22-27 minutes.
- While the noodles cook, shred the chicken with two forks or dice into bite-size pieces. Tent with foil to keep warm.
- Once the noodles are tender, stir the chicken back into the broth. Add the parsley and lemon juice (if desired). Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with additional fresh herbs.
Notes
- Every slow cooker runs at a slightly different temperature (which is why the recipe gives you general time ranges, rather than exact times). Since my slow cooker tends to cook at a relatively high temperature, I find that the meal is best when cooked on HIGH for about 1 ½ hours or on LOW for about 3 hours. Just get familiar with your pot and adjust accordingly.
- Be careful not to overcook your chicken. The meat is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Don’t overcook the noodles or they will become mushy in your soup. Add them to the pot just before you’re ready to serve, and keep a close eye on them.
- Taste and season as you go. The total amount of salt necessary will vary depending on the saltiness of your broth, and on personal preference.
